Top 5 Must-Have Jailbreak Apps

[You're tempted. We know you are. We are too. Even with the App Store, Jailbreaking is the ultimate in iPhone forbidden fruit. So what will it take to push us over the edge? How about the top 5 killer Apps. Stuff Apple will never allow in the official store? Jeremy rounds them up for us below, and if you do decide to take the plunge, he has you covered with full tutorials on how to Jailbreak the iPhone 3G with Quickpwn for Windows PCs, Mac OS X, how to Jailbreak and Unlock the original iPhone 2G.]

Our forums have been buzzing lately with members asking "why should I jailbrake?" Well today TiPb brings you some of the very best reasons: the top 5 must have Jailbreak Apps!

What are they and what do they do? Read on after the jump!

1. Winterboard

For those of you who really want to trick out your iPhone's user interface, look no further than Winterboard. Using the Winterboard you can apply whole skins to your device or just specific parts of it. The things you can customize include App icons, wallpaper, and even the statusbar, dock, etc. You can spend an entire day tweaking your UI to your liking. For the best guide I've seen for Winterboard, check out this link here.

2. BossPrefs

While you can remove Apps, WebClips, etc, from your device by just tapping and holding, then simply tapping the "X" icon, the built-in Apple icons are not removeable on your iPhone. This is where BossPrefs comes into play. Install it to get extra options for configuring your device, including "Poof!" a section where you can disable icons, even if they are fixed ones like iTunes or Weather.

3. Intelliscreen

This next little gem of an App was reviewed back in May by Casey. Have you ever needed to check your Mail but didn't have time to thumb through your iPhone to check it out? Intelliscreen by Intelliborn allows for easy access to information on your iPhone lock screen, such as Mail and SMS messages, iCal dates, news stories, sports scores, and more. If you are a fan of widgets on your PC or Mac, or the Today Screen on Windows Mobile devices, you'll love Intelliscreen.

4. Backgrounder

This App is one that I told you about this past week. It's called Backgrounder, and it simply allows you to run official App Store apps in the background. Imagine that, the ability to multitask right on your iPhone! Try this app out, you will not regret it! Here's how you use it:

<

blockquote>You just press and hold the home key while running any application. After a few seconds, the Backgrounding Enabled pop-up appears. Release the home button and go about your business. Backgrounder automatically returns you to SpringBoard. To quit the background application, re-launch it from SpringBoard, then press and hold Home until the Backgrounding Disabled pop-up appears.

5. Categories

Categories allows you to create folders on your desktop. This gives you the ability to organize your home screens in ways far beyond anything Apple currently provides. When you add an App to a category, it is taken from the Springboard list so that it no longer shows up on the home screen. When you remove the app from the category it is returned back to the Springboard. In other words, instead of scrolling from screen to screen, you can have one screen containing all of your App folders for instant access to what you want. Pretty sweet deal if you ask me. Below is a picture of what a games folder would look like when opened from the springboard.

*Since Categories edits system files, be sure to check out the Help section before using this App to avoid any complications. It gives you step by step directions.

Conclusion

So there you have it, you wanted to know the top 5 Apps out there and TiPb comes through and gives you the answer! This list of must-have jailbroken apps should keep you busy for quite some time along with giving your iPhone a fresh new look! For more information about jailbreaking please visit our jailbreaking apps forum, our members are always willing to help you out!

Reader comments

Top 5 Must-Have Jailbreak Apps

I don't actually own an iPad yet but seeing these apps makes me want one even more! I think I may wait for the 2nd/3rd generation to come out... (If i can wait that long!)It's amazing just how much you can do, I currently have an iPhone and have the wordpress app which is really useful for keeping up to date with all my clients blogs.From an iPad point of view the Gusto app and adobe ideas seem like they would be the most useful!Thanks for sharing

I was having trouble with my relationship a few years back. A friend forwarded me an ebook by a famous relationship expert named Michael Web. His book saved me. It helped be diagnose the big problem in our relationship. Identified our lifestyle problems. We simply worked too much and didn't have time for each other, as a result no sex, frustration...And on down the slippery slope we went. Turns out things like sexuality is a pattern, something that needs to happen on an ongoing basis or else other things will crowd it out. It's about behaving your way to success. Like the old adage: Use it or lose it. These simple things I learned from the book and how to correct the problems in my relationship. You might want to take a look yourself if you really want to win her back.

Just how is jailbreaking your iPhone in anyway equivalent to piracy? Stop insisting this.
Jailbreak simply means you are able to run open source, community developed or homebrew software. It takes away Apple's strangle hold on the device.

Vikram
I think you mean the app sbsettings (short for spring board settings). You swipe your finger accross the top of the screen for quick access to thinks like 3G, WiFi, Brightness etc...
Take a look in cydia.
Enjoy!!

could someone pls help me. i jailbroke my iphone 3g a few weeks ago. my friend has this cool thingy when he slides thE top part of his iphone ( where the clock and battery is ) a menu slides down. pls help, i searched all over and couldnt find anything. (even youtube)

Hi everyone!!! i have quite a few probloems with my newly bought iPhone...and wonder will any gentlemen gives me some clue #1, everytime i connect my iPhone to iTune, my XP notebook will restart immediately, but luckily i got to put all the songs from my notebook into my iPhone only for the 1st time when i connect them #2, my iPhone has got a problem with the network,i couldn't call out or sms everytime after i leave a lift(elevator),carrier is still there, but with a sign 'no service' at top left corner of iPhone screen
Anyone who has these 2 problems or solution pls pls let me know....your ans will be appreciated....thks guys!!! hope to hear from you guys soon = ]

I like the idea of getting out of the box i.e. jail break and I did it. But I restored my phone because I had to pay for third party apps. Can you tell me if this is true of the apps you are describing??

"Jailbreaking (Getting laid) for my iPhone has made it so much more of a unique and powerful device way ahead of its time!"
-- Mr.EClass
Many cell phones, including old ones you had in the past, had amazing capabilities, IF there were gifted people with a lot of time to make those things available to you. We are all lucky for the nerds who are developing and supporting this. IPhone isn't ahead of it's time, but these apps and capabilities are novel because no cell phone service provider, OR phone manufacturer would ever release them. It hurts the bottom line. I can tether my Iphone to my laptop using jailbreak. Sprint charges 30 bucks a month for that, AT&T close to 50. Get my drift? Thats just one example. I believe in the freedom to use the devices you legally purchased anyway you choose, but when you start using them in connection with services you don't or can't pay for, then were all kind of stealing in the end. I hacked mine, because I wanted to drop the 50$ fee from AT&T for my USB 3G card. In today's economy that 50$ is not like it was 3 or 5 years ago. I'd feel better though, if AT&T would let me use the phone this way legally for 20$ a month. Apple doesn't really care how you use the device, but on the other hand, they can't break contracts with AT&T, or cause problems with them. It could cost them a fortune, and AT&T probably paid for 80% of your cell phone's actual cost through subsidizing.

Initially I was blown away with winterboard but noticed that my iphone seemed "slower" so I did a side by side comparison with my wife's iphone (she won't let me touch it to jailbreak it) and noticed that my iphone was slower. Settings, mail, facebook, etc all took a couple of extra seconds to load (2~5 seconds more)... doesn't sound like a lot but it does break the flow and is definitely noticeable. I unloaded winterboard and it's back to normal... additional app that I would add to the app is pdanet or imodem that allows you tether your iphone.

Recently I have been on iDay.ca's website and he's been teaching us online user many new things bout our iPhones. I used to check your website every other day or so but now I like to check iDay.ca first just to make sure that his site does not have something new which you guys dont have either. Maybe you guys should have him join with you guys to make a kick ass new blog with more info bout my iPhone and the things that I can do with it.

Just wanted to find out, why did it take you guys this long to put these apps up. Some no name blog iDay.ca had his list up three days before yours. Just wondering did you guys decide to put up this list after finding out that someone else thought of this first.

@Christomapher
I would like to say that the categories options or folders do in fact use the theme you have set on your iphone at the time of set up. You simply have to go in and set it to the theme you so choose to use for that folder! Its pretty sweet.
Lets say I have um...gradiance v2 on for my main theme, I can set oh...buuf2 on that folder, and classica on another. I don't care for the style of the folders sometimes, or the way they are set up per say...But I am so anal about my icons and themes matching up, that I kinda have to use and suck up my little complaints or gripes.

Categories causes the phone to be unstable and doesn't utilize winterboard-style themes or icons. Intelliscreen caused my phone to get stuck at the apple screen with the springboard constantly restarting. I actually had to restore my phone because of intelliscreen and if you look in forums, you'll see lots of people having these issues.
Mobile stack is great except that it loses my ipod icon... anyone know how to get it back??

Also the Cycorder(camcorder), dtunes (allows you to download any song directly onto your phone FREE, and mixtube which allows you to stream and download all clips from youtube, youporn, clips, etc etc...

Do you have all those running on your iPhone? In the past I had problems with Intelliscreen and Winterboard together. I haven't taken the chance to add Winterboard back into the mix yet. So far I'm happy with just IS.